Edinburgh Stone Restoration by Local Edinburgh Stone Masons

Often it is necessary to replace a stone unit within a building when its structural integrity and function has been lost. Wind driven rain, freeze thaw cycles and the expansion of rusting iron fixings as well as inappropriate cement based mortars all contribute in part to the deterioration of the stone.Careful consideration to the appropriate stone selection whether a partial stone indent or full stone replacement and of course the use of lime mortars is essential to ensure a sensitive repair.

Featured Project: Viewforth - Edinburgh

The centre mullions that support the bay window had lost there structural integrity. Previous poorly executed repairs using an inappropriate cement based mortar had acted like a straight jacket, trapping in moisture within the stone resulting in accelerated decay.Burgh Stonemasonry replaced the defective stone mullions with new stone, profiled to replicate the original.Lime mortar repairs were used in isolated areas where the stone had suffered little more than surface weathering.

Types of Natural Stone Repairs in Edinburgh

When it comes to arranging natural stone repair Edinburgh, there are many types of stonework that can be repaired. Natural stone repairs are carried out by skilled stonemasons using natural stone indent replacements. It takes the skills of a professional stone mason with years of experience to produce stone that matches the existing stonework whether it is a detailed decorative moulding or a plain ashler block.

Before natural stone repairs can be completed, the existing stonework needs to be assessed to ensure the right stone type is determined. Wherever possible, a professional stonemason will always try to source the same stone from its original quarry to guarantee the perfect match. Very often the stone that needs to be repaired will be taken off site for workshop repairs. Once completed the stone will be returned to site and repositioned in its original place. If this cannot be achieved, special preparations will be carried out on site to protect the surrounding stone while the damaged areas are being repaired.

Stone Indenting in Edinburgh

Stone indenting is also referred to as piecing in. This type of natural stone repair in Edinburgh is usually used when it is not possible to remove blocks of stone for fear of causing structural upset to the rest of the building. During this process, the stone mason will take away a damaged section of stone and replace it with another section of stone which fits the cavity exactly. The stone indent is securely fixed in place to the existing stone by using stainless steel dowels and epoxy resin mortar.

Stone Repairs Edinburgh

This type of repair is more of a cosmetic stone repair and is carried out by skilled stone masons or stone restorers, to stone suffering from less serious deterioration. All natural stone repairs Edinburgh, are carried out on site without any removal of stone or disruption to the structure of the building. Lithomex restoration mortar is one of the best materials around when it comes to stone repairs, but in untrained hands it can cause more problems than existed in the first place. Therefore, it is important to choose a company with the required experience in using these materials and hydraulic lime.